American Holly

Scientific Name: Ilex opaca Ait.
Family: Aquifoliaceae

Recommended Temperature Zone:
Sunset®: 3-23,26,28,31-35,39
USDA: 4-9

Heat Tolerance: Questionable in the low deserts

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Origin: Eastern and southern USA, southeastern Canada, northeastern Mexico

Growth Habits: Evergreen tree, growing slowly up to 50 feet tall (16 m), 15 to 30 feet spread (4-9 m); simple leaves shiny and dark green above, 2 to 4 inches long (5-10 cm), with spiny toothed margins

Flowers: White or greenish flowers

Fruit: Red berry

Watering Needs: Regular water

Propagation: Hardwood cuttings in late summer, seeds are quite hard to be brought out of dormancy.

Propagation: Cutting or occasionally seed, grafting/budding

• by semi-hardwood stem tip cuttings, in summer. Apply IBA TALC 8000 PPM. Use intermittent mist. Root in 6-8 weeks.
• by 'T', whip grafts, in late summer.
• by seeds, in winter. Germinates at natural degrees F. The seeds can be harvested in autumn. No pre-treatment is needed. The usual germination temperature is natural degrees F.

Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species.

Blooming Habits:
Dioecious, small, greenish white, inconspicuous flowers, in spring. The female flowers are scented. The fruits are produced only on the female plants if there is a male plant nearby. Bright red, orange, or occasionally yellow drupes, 0.3 inch in diameter (0.7 cm), containing 4 seeds, ripening in fall and persisting into the following spring.